Staff Reports
Russia’s latest barrage of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine has once again underscored the brutality of Vladimir Putin’s war strategy. Launching some 40 missiles and nearly 600 drones, the attack left three dead, dozens wounded, and entire residential areas scarred by destruction. While Ukraine’s air defenses successfully intercepted the vast majority of these assaults, the sheer scale and indiscriminate targeting prove what many already know: this is not about defeating an opposing army but about breaking the will of the Ukrainian people through terror.
The Ukrainian military, however, continues to show grit and determination. Even as Russian forces attempt to grind down resistance with overwhelming firepower, Ukrainian troops have launched counteroffensives in the east, reclaiming ground and capturing Russian soldiers. Their resilience reveals not only a fighting spirit but also a refusal to bend under Moscow’s narrative of inevitability. Every destroyed drone and every prisoner taken is a direct rebuttal to Putin’s confidence that Ukraine can be subjugated.
What is equally troubling is Russia’s growing willingness to provoke NATO directly. The incursion of Russian aircraft into Estonian airspace is no small matter. A NATO member’s borders were violated—a dangerously reckless move and a reminder that Moscow is testing the alliance’s resolve. Calls from Estonia for an Article Four consultation reflect just how serious the situation has become. NATO cannot view these provocations as mere accidents. If Russia senses weakness or hesitation, it will only work harder to push the boundaries of aggression.
For years, critics warned that Western complacency and dependence on Russian energy created the very conditions in which Moscow now thrives. Now, with Russian drones straying into Poland and Romania, NATO allies are urgently reinforcing their defenses along the eastern flank. These steps, while necessary, are a reminder that deterrence should have been prioritized long before Putin launched his full-scale invasion. It is proof of what happens when nations look the other way in the face of authoritarian ambition.
This conflict is not just about Ukraine—it is about whether free nations will stand firm against authoritarian regimes determined to expand at any cost. Putin’s campaign of terror illustrates the dark reality of unchecked tyranny, while Ukraine’s defiance symbolizes the values of sovereignty and liberty that bind the West. The United States and its allies must make it clear that aggression has consequences, because if Moscow is allowed to succeed, the borders of Eastern Europe may not be the only lines Putin seeks to redraw.
